Faithful
Inside JBU’s Strategy for Financial Strength
Celebrating 40 Years of WISP Homecoming included a special celebration that brought Walton alumni back to campus.
From JBU to Capitol Hill
Phillip Todd ’18 helps shape national economic policy in Washington, D.C.
Alumnus
WINTER 2025
The Brown Bulletin is published by University Marketing & Communications for alumni and friends of JBU. For more information, visit www.jbu.edu/bulletin
PRESIDENT Dr. Charles Pollard III
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT
Dr. Jim Krall
CHIEF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Julie Gumm ’95 (B.S.) ’20 (M.S.)
MANAGING EDITOR/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Jay Nickel
DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
Kelly Saunders ’12
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Julie Gumm ’95, Traci Manos ’01, Jay Nickel, Nicholas Robinson, Cherissa Roebuck ’01, Carlson Wakefield ’20, Bethany Wallace
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Trinity Bates ’26, Devyn Davis ’28, Carter Henson ’17 (B.S.) ’19 (MBA), Juliana Jones ’27, Main Street Studios, Stefany Mendoza ’27, Kelly Saunders ’12
SUPPORT
Sherry Miller ’75
COPY EDITING
Melissa Varner
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John Brown University
©2025
Junior Jason Flores celebrates the first basket of the men’s season at the 41st annual Toilet Paper Game.
Students Bring a Global Perspective
Happy New Year. We are grateful for many things at JBU — a record fall enrollment, gifts over $100 million toward our $140 million capital campaign goal, and renewed energy and spiritual vitality among students. More details on this good news are available on these pages, but I was particularly moved by the stories about three student programs here at JBU: the Walton International Scholarship Program, the Missionary in Residence program and Creciendo Juntos.
During Homecoming, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of WISP, a program that has seen 624 students come to JBU from seven Central American countries and Mexico. These students have significantly enriched our campus with their exceptional work ethic and talent, their leadership in residence halls and student government, and their faithful witness to God’s goodness. They also bring vibrant cultural traditions, such as the delicious food at the International Food Festival and the graceful dance steps at Salsa Night. Carey and I appreciate all we have learned from JBU’s WISP students and have witnessed their remarkable contributions to their home countries during our alumni visits.
Similarly, JBU has offered a unique Missionary in Residence program that supports JBU’s missionary and third-culture students since 1992. Many of these students have a U.S. passport but have grown up around the world because of parents serving in missions or international business. They, too, bring a wonderful global perspective to faith and academic discussions, and contribute to the global culture of campus, whether as the rugby team fly-half or in hosting the annual goat roast. We are thankful to be part of a university that serves missionary and third-culture families so well.
More recently, JBU launched Creciendo Juntos (“Growing Together”) to support and encourage North American Latino students at JBU, many of whom are first-generation students. The group has grown from 7 to over 100 students in the last three years under the excellent leadership of Marcos Gutierrez, the program director and a JBU alumnus. Carey and I hosted their annual Christmas party, and we were impressed to hear their stories and watch the joy, friendship and commitment exhibited that evening.
Each of these groups, and there are others on campus, enables students to thrive at JBU. The students in these groups also enable JBU to thrive in its mission. We reflect better the breadth of God’s kingdom now, and we catch a glimpse of his kingdom to come, in which the great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and tongue will stand before the throne and worship the Lamb. We are most grateful to live, work and worship in such a community.
12
Training Disaster Responders
JBU’s humanitarian and disaster relief students gain realworld emergency response experience while mastering technical skills for future disaster relief careers.
18
Faithful Finance
Learn how JBU maintains financial strength through careful stewardship while staying true to its student-first mission.
24
Transforming Two Continents
JBU reaches 40 years of the Walton International Scholarship Program, celebrating how its graduates have transformed business and culture across Central America and Mexico.
28
Economics in Action
Alumnus Phillip Todd ’18 went from witnessing rural poverty in China to shaping economic policy as a Senate committee chief economist.
JBU RANKED BY WSJ, U.S. NEWS, CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
For the fifth year, JBU was named to The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings, claiming the highest score of private schools in Arkansas and ranked No. 2 overall in the state. JBU ranked No. 358, securing a spot in the top 10% of U.S. colleges and universities.
U.S. News named JBU the top-ranked regional university in Arkansas for the ninth consecutive year. In the 2025 U.S. News Best College Rankings, JBU ranked No. 12 out of 132 regional universities in the South and No. 20 in Best Value.
The Chronicle of Higher Education also recognized JBU as a “Great College to Work For” for the ninth year. JBU received Honor Roll status and placed in the top 10 for four-year colleges in six categories: job satisfaction and support; compensation and benefits; mission and pride; supervisor/department chair effectiveness; confidence in senior leadership; and faculty and staff well-being.
JBU GROUP VISITS SOUTH KOREA
Chip and Carey Pollard, Jim and Pam Krall, Ted Song and a group of JBU alumni and friends visited South Korea in September. The group visited several major historical sites, but the highlight was reflecting on the sacrifice of the early Christian missionaries who brought the gospel to Korea and fellowshipping with Korean brothers and sisters in Christ during several church visits. President Pollard and Song also attended The Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, which brought together Christians from 202 countries. (The photo is from their visit to the Korean Folk Village, where visitors are encouraged to wear “hanbok” — traditional Korean clothes.)
FALL INCOMING CLASS SETS TWO RECORDS
John Brown University welcomed a record-setting 455 new students (top photo) to the Siloam Springs campus on Wednesday, Aug. 21. This total includes transfers and students returning after one or more semesters away, as well as a record-breaking freshman class of 386 students, surpassing the previous record of 376 freshmen in 2023.
VISITING HISTORY TOUR LEARNS FROM MUSCOGEE & OSAGE NATIONS
A group of JBU faculty and staff recently visited Council Oak Comprehensive Healthcare in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for JBU’s summer visiting history tour. The group learned how the Muscogee Nation seeks to serve its people and has incorporated Muscogee art — including JBU art professor Bobby Martin’s art mural — to bring healing to the physical body and the mind. The group also visited Pawhuska, Oklahoma, to learn more about the history of the Osage Nation, having read “Killers of the Flower Moon” or watched the film before the trip. Organized by the Office of Intercultural Engagement, Visiting History Tours provides faculty and staff with learning opportunities each summer.
HADLEY & KRALL EARN PROMOTIONS
Kim Hadley, D.B.A., was promoted in August 2024 to executive vice president. Hadley has been a key leader at JBU since 2004 and has most recently served as chief operating officer and vice president. In her new role, Hadley will add oversight of facilities and athletics to the areas she already supervises — including finance, technology, enrollment, human resources, and marketing and communications.
Simultaneously, Jim Krall, Ed.D., was promoted to senior vice president for university advancement. Krall has served as vice president for university advancement at JBU since 2002. During Krall’s tenure, JBU has received nearly $400 million in charitable gifts and secured almost $30 million in revocable estate commitments, helping to significantly advance the university’s mission and vision.
RECORD-BREAKING
SEASON FOR NEW HEAD COACH
First-year head coach Samuel Estrada ’21 led the men’s soccer program to a second-place finish in the Sooner Athletic regular season standings (7-1-1) and an appearance in the tournament semifinals. Despite being left without an at-large invitation to participate in the NAIA National Championships, the Golden Eagles ended the season with an 11-1-6 record, marking the fewest losses of any first-year head coach in program history. JBU suffered only one loss — to conference champion Mid-America Christian — and recorded four draws against other teams participating in the NAIA National Championships.
VOLLEYBALL NARROWLY MISSES OUT ON AUTOBID
For the fourth time in five seasons, the Golden Eagles’ campaign ended in the semifinal round of the Sooner Athletic tournament, this time at Texas Wesleyan in a three-set battle. Despite late leads in the first and third frames, JBU couldn’t upset the Rams, falling just shy of reaching the tournament’s title game and the automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships. Finishing at 17-15, the Golden Eagles secured a winning record for the 11th consecutive season under head coach Ken Carver.
WOMEN’S SOCCER POSTS DEEPEST NATIONAL TOURNAMENT RUN IN PROGRAM HISTORY
For the first time since its founding in 2002, the Golden Eagle women’s soccer program ended its season in the quarterfinal round of the NAIA National Championships. Stringing together victories over Central Methodist (Mo.), 3-1, and the nation’s top team, Cumberlands (Ky.), 2-1, JBU ultimately fell to the eventual national champion, Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.), by a 1-0 score.
The season included a university record seventh consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Championships, a fifth straight SAC tournament championship and a back-to-back SAC regular season crown.
At the NAIA Round of 16, JBU (No. 19) stunned undefeated No. 1 Cumberlands (Ky.) with a 2-1 victory —the largest upset ever in the tournament’s history — and secured its first program trip to the quarterfinals. Despite outshooting SCAD (Ga.) 11-4, the Golden Eagles conceded a goal in the 88th minute. SCAD went on to win the championship.
QUARTET OF ALL-AMERICANS
The women’s soccer program produced four NAIA All-America selections, including John Brown’s first first-teamer since 2006. Finishing the year with a 12-3-0 record and backstopping the Golden Eagles to their deepest run ever, freshman Marely Fonseca earned recognition as one of the top two goalkeepers in the nation by the All-America committee. She joined men’s basketball’s Brandon Cole (2005-06) and men’s soccer’s Leo Peirano (2000-01) and Terry Brown (1992-93) as the only Golden Eagles named to the NAIA’s first team. Fonseca was named the National Championships All-Tournament Team, the only goalkeeper to earn the honor.
Seniors Lauren Walter and Renny Buchanan were selected to the All-America second team, while sophomore Julia Lambert earned a spot on the third team. Walter and Buchanan were honored on the third team last season, while this marked Lambert’s first-career All-America nod.
PAIR OF HARRIERS COMPETE AT NATIONAL MEET
Cross-country runners Chase Schermer and Hope Ahnfeldt qualified for the NAIA National Championship meet this fall as juniors, finishing the season with strong performances on the nation’s biggest stage.
Just three seconds off his personal best, Schermer placed 109th in the 8,000-meter race, crossing the tape in 25:14. Beginning the first 3,000 meters in 149th place in a field of 326 competitors, Schermer climbed 30 spots over the final 5,000 meters in his first appearance at the national meet.
Ahnfeldt set a new personal record, turning in a time of 23:16 — a 26-second improvement on her previous best — to finish in 161st place.
GOLD CHESS TAKES RUNNER-UP
The JBU Gold chess roster, part of JBU Esports, consisting of Alfredo Capacho, Brady Dick, Andy Graham, Ross Wilson and Ty Burks finished as runner-up in its division in the Collegiate Chess League. The team competed against schools across North America and India en route to its second-place finish, ending 9-1 on the season.
Marely Fonseca
Lauren Walter
Renny Buchanan
Julia Lambert
CONTINUING
An interview with Anne Tohme ’99, vice president for student development
By Traci Manos ’01
In July 2024, Anne (Kooi) Tohme ’99 joined JBU as vice president for student development, succeeding Steve Beers, who retired after 26 years in the role.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I grew up in Heartland, Wisconsin, and I come from “a JBU family.” My parents graduated from JBU in 1969, as did my older sister, Amy (’95), and brother-in-law, Jeremy Burns (’97). I currently have a niece and second cousin attending JBU.
I graduated from JBU in ’99 with a degree in business administration and earned my Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I served at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, for 17 years, working in various roles in student development. For the past four years, I served as vice president for student life at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida.
I’ve been married to Kelvin Tohme for 17 years, and we have served in Christian higher ed for most of our careers. Kelvin is working in information technology at JBU and is passionate about soccer, specifically, the life-changing impact of sports ministry. We have two children — Landon, who is 15 and in 10th grade, and Lauryn, who is 13 and in eighth grade. We also have a mini Goldendoodle named Daisy. We love opening our home to friends and family and hosting and entertaining college students! I enjoy running — I have run four marathons — love to travel, drink coffee with friends, and I am a huge Bon Jovi fan.
Q: How does it feel to be back at JBU?
A: JBU has never left me. The opportunity to return and invest in a place that has been so impactful and mean-
ingful in my personal, professional and spiritual development feels like a sweet gift from God. Worshipping in the Cathedral of the Ozarks again feels like a “welcome home” experience.
This fall, I participated in a true full-circle moment when I spoke at Breakaway, JBU’s fall student retreat. In my senior year, I was the CAUSE ministries director, and back then, the director spoke at Breakaway. It was extraordinary to be there and to speak at the retreat again.
Q: What was your experience like as a JBU student?
A: I made some of the best friends of my life at JBU, and I learned the life-changing impact of a Christ-centered community. My time as a student played a significant role in my spiritual development and was pivotal in helping me discern my gifts and calling. Being mentored by women like Delia Haak, Becci Rothfuss and Tracy Balzer gave me a vision of godly women in leadership, mentoring and discipleship. They called out gifts in me I didn’t know I had and showed me a career path I didn’t realize existed. I am honored to build on and continue the legacy of these amazing women at JBU.
Q: What is your vision for students at JBU?
A: I’m so grateful to follow in Dr. Steve Beers’ footsteps and his exceptional work in student development. The department is healthy and thriving, and I feel fortunate to be able to continue to build on that. I work with an incredible team of gifted and talented people in student development, and I am so impressed with their intentionality, discipleship mentality and genuine love for students. It’s a great privilege to join with them in this meaningful work.
I hope to continue to build on the legacy of those who have gone before me and to cast a vision of hospitality, grace and accountability. I believe every aspect of what we do with students is to be infused with these elements. I want students to experience the extravagant welcome and love of Christ — know that they are seen and wanted here (hospitality). I want students to know they are loved and accepted simply for who they are and just as they are (grace). I believe that God calls us to live holy lives and to honor him in all we do and that part of our work is to call students up into all that God has for them as followers of Christ, collectively and individually (accountability).
My deep desire is that our students become deeply rooted in their identity as loved children of God who fully embrace what it means to be “the beloved.” Out of this understanding of identity will flow how they think about God, themselves and others, and their decisions and choices about work, relationships and service. Frederick Buechner defines vocation as “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” I am passionate about helping students find that intersection — the sweet spot of their calling — and then creating a path of growth for them to live it out.
Q: Why does Christian higher education matter?
A: It matters because we need disciple makers in all spheres and places of society. A Christian education equips students to be salt and light in the world, representing Christ and loving others in ways that advance the kingdom of God. JBU college years are unique for our students; it’s a season in life when all the adults around them are genuinely cheering for and supporting them, challenging and growing them and wanting to disciple and build into them. That is a unique experience and one we hope students will take full advantage of — a time of education and preparation.
Graduation is my favorite event because it signifies sending hundreds of students into the world with the gospel’s message — bringing light to the darkness and hope to the hopeless. These students have undertaken four years of training to be ready to bring grace, wisdom and love-infused leadership to their fields and spheres of influence. What a privilege to have a small part in the stories God is writing as he sends his people into the world to advance his kingdom.
DREAMS TAKING FLIGHT
Graduate student Pamela Heald on how JBU has impacted her career
By Carlson Wakefield ’20
As a senior UX/UI innovation designer at Delta Air Lines, Pamela Heald navigates the fast-paced tech world and graduate school as she works to complete a master’s degree in design thinking and innovation from JBU.
“I came from a family that worked so hard to give us a future here,” Heald said. “My grandfather always emphasized education, and I think of him every time I push myself forward.”
At Delta, Heald’s work focuses on the operational side, developing and refining applications that support the teams responsible for flight safety and efficiency. This role has given her a comprehensive understanding of the processes that connect to every aspect of the passenger experience.
“Being on the operational side gives me a whole new view of Delta,” she said. “I see the entire journey, from when a customer books a flight to when they arrive at their destination. We call it ‘curb to gate.’ It’s fascinating.”
Previously, Heald worked on the commercial side, focusing on customer-facing experiences. Her current role has broadened her perspective, allowing her to integrate insights from both areas to improve user experience and operational efficiency.
Her time at JBU has been instrumental in shaping her professional approach. Courses like organizational management and design thinking have influenced her operations in a complex tech environment.
“Every class I’ve taken at JBU has shown up in my job,” Heald said. “They’ve built my confidence to hold my own in leadership meetings. As a Christian woman in tech, it’s not just about skills; it’s about faith in yourself.”
Heald’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. Delta awarded her its Richard Anderson Trailblazer Leadership Award, the company’s highest scholarship, which acknowledges her dedication and perseverance.
“Out of thousands of employees, being chosen is surreal,” Heald reflected. “It’s more than a scholarship, it’s a chance to continue my studies and honor the path my family worked so hard to pave for me.”
While focusing on finishing her degree, Heald is already considering future opportunities. She believes her education will open doors to new projects and leadership roles at Delta, where she hopes to make a significant impact.
“Pursuing this degree is about building the confidence and acumen I need to lead,” she said. “I remember being told everyone in certain roles at Delta has a graduate degree, which stuck with me.”
Although her courses are online, Heald feels deeply connected to the JBU community and its values, which align with her faith.
“Being at JBU has been a godsend,” she said. “It’s a place where faith matters, even in tech. I’ve gained confidence as a professional and Christian woman in this field.”
By Carlson Wakefield
The Gathering
Deeper connections and authentic worship make The Gathering an essential JBU experience
Every Sunday night, students join together in the Cathedral of the Ozarks for a unique worship experience known as The Gathering. Unlike the Tuesday and Thursday chapels, where students hear from JBU faculty, staff and university guests, The Gathering is entirely student-led.
With the help of University Chaplain Keith Jagger, Ph.D., and Director of Worship Arts Connor Young ’17, students plan every detail, from music to prayer to message, crafting an intimate atmosphere that draws students in.
“There’s an expectation now about that space that it feels different than Tuesday and Thursday, and that’s very purposeful,” said Young, who guides the students through setup and rehearsals.
The Gathering intentionally creates a worship experience that feels welcoming to each student, regardless of denomination.
“Because we’re interdenominational, we’re hoping that students feel something familiar in one of the three services each week — something that feels like home,” Young explained.
For many students, The Gathering is a chance to connect more deeply with their faith and community. Yamil Tenorio, a senior who spoke this semester, used The Gathering to share his experiences and struggles as a student.
“There were a lot of things I dealt with that I knew a lot of students would have something in common with,” Tenorio said. “Having your peers, possible mentors and friends all together, it’s powerful.”
The intimate, student-led setting often fosters authentic student vulnerability, which can lead to profound impact.
“It is one of my favorite things as chaplain, to help the senior students prepare their messages,” Jagger said. “Then we stand back and beam with joy, praying over the service and receive the work of God on our lives through these students.”
The Gathering offers more than a worship service as students arrive at the Cathedral each Sunday night. It’s a place where faith and friendship meet, building a supportive community that encourages spiritual growth.
The Gathering has become a place of safety and refuge for students on the JBU campus — a safe space where their peers and professors worship together.
“Students talk about how worship at The Gathering has helped them through their most difficult moments as an emerging adult,” Jagger said. “Studies show that worship deeply impacts students on college campuses. It’s so powerful to watch students grow in faith as they see student leaders express their faith on stage.”
By Julie Gumm ’95
Rejuvenated
Renovations give the Cathedral a new life
As students streamed into the Cathedral of the Ozarks for the first chapel of the semester, you could hear the oohs and aahs as they caught their first glimpse of the newly renovated Cathedral. Refinished pews and woodwork gleamed, a classic artwork tied to that day’s message filled the new lobby screen and the sounds of the new organ, played by Seung-Won Cho, D.M.A., filled the sanctuary.
Later in the semester, during the Homecoming chapel, the university held a special rededication service to celebrate the completion of the $1.5 million interior renovation. President Emeritus John Brown III reflected on his grandfather’s vision for the Cathedral and its centrality to the Christ-centered education John E. Brown Sr. envisioned when he founded JBU in 1919.
Brown decided to break ground to build the Cathedral in 1945. World War II was just ending, enrollment was low and the university was under bankruptcy restructuring. No fundraising consultant would have advised launching this ambitious project. However, in faith, the founder started construction.
It took over 12 years to complete, and Brown died just months before it was finished. But because of that bold faith, the Cathedral has been the university’s central place of worship for almost 70 years. More importantly, the worship, prayers, scripture reading and preaching in that building have changed so many lives.
During the service, President Chip Pollard offered a brief homily based on Psalm 126:1-6, drawing a parallel between the physical restoration of the Cathedral and God’s ongoing work of spiritual restoration in our lives.
We rejoice that we were allowed to restore the interior to its original beauty for the next generations of JBU students and are deeply grateful to the many donors who generously supported the project.
Watch an overview of the renovation: Watch the Cathedral rededication service:
Students
Humanitarian and Disaster Relief
By Jay Nickel
Live Out Head, Heart, Hand
Ifyou have paid attention to national news in the last few months, you’re familiar with just how critical disaster relief assistance is when a natural disaster hits a community.
The trained responders that descend on those communities come from various backgrounds — medical, engineering, construction, search and rescue, logistics and social work — and some have undergraduate degrees specifically in disaster relief.
In 2020, JBU added a humanitarian and disaster relief major within the Bible department that has quickly grown to 20 students.
JBU’s HDR program concentrates mainly on the frontend, immediate response to a disaster and is primarily devoted to hands-on technical skills. It also examines domestic and international responses to disaster and aid, taught by knowledgeable instructors with extensive experience in some of the largest disasters of our time.
Greg Robinson, professor of outdoor leadership, said JBU approaches leadership development from a very experiential perspective. Starting with their first class in outdoor living skills, students lead a team on a wilderness trip and get real exposure to how leadership needs to work.
“One of our advantages over other programs is the experiential approach to leadership development built into the program,” Robinson said. “The one critique students learned from a research project they did interviewing seven senior executives of relief organizations was that too many students get hired and, though they have book knowledge, most lack authentic leadership or team experience.”
Home to the Buffalo River and the Ozark Mountains, Northwest Arkansas has active community search and rescue teams for students to volunteer with while completing their degrees.
JBU HDR students work closely with the Siloam Springs Fire Department and EMS, and JBU frequently invites organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, Canopy and Operation Mobilization to visit campus. Robinson said several JBU students have completed internships with Samaritan’s Purse and Water for Good.
Senior Acacia Hall had the opportunity to serve as a wildland firefighter in Oregon last summer, where she was dispatched with a 20-person hand crew to the Falls Fire in Eastern Oregon. The crew’s job was dry mopping, searching for and extinguishing hotspots, digging handlines and building hose lays.
“I’m thankful for the experience and the skills I learned from it, like situational awareness, mental perseverance, pushing through physical discomfort and pain at times, working in high-stress environments and quickly adjusting to changing plans,” she said. “I learned to rely and lean on the
Lord for strength and joy every single day and trust him to show up even in an environment that didn’t welcome his presence.”
Experienced adjunct professors like the program’s EMS instructor, Branton Thompson, are vital to the program. He enjoys sharing how assisting in disaster situations is a rewarding experience for students pursuing careers in EMS, structural firefighting and wildland firefighting.
“Working in [HDR] is bringing peace and sharing truth when others are experiencing their emergency.”
“Working in humanitarian and disaster relief is bringing peace and sharing truth when others are experiencing their emergency,” Thompson said. “Through the EMT program, students get to provide emergency care to the community with the Siloam Springs Fire Department.”
HDR students earn remote and emergency medicine certifications during college. They will graduate with spe-
cific FEMA certifications, an EMT license and a wilderness EMT certification.
The career path for HDR students often leads to working for a local, state or federal government or nonprofit organization focusing on disaster response. Robinson said the degree is also a great developmental experience for people who want to serve more locally in first responder roles, whether as paramedics or firefighters.
Senior Oak Martin would love to pursue a career in building or designing disaster shelters or helping rebuild houses after catastrophic destruction. His name, Oak, comes from Isaiah 61:3b: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” Martin said that in college, he discovered the following verse: “They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”
“That is what I would love to do. I am not sure how yet, but I would love to do this overseas after practicing relief work for a few years here in America,” Martin said.
With the vast array of career opportunities possible from the humanitarian and disaster relief program at JBU, it is uncertain where the graduates will be dispersed around the world. No matter where they land, however, one thing is certain — they will live out the motto “Head, Heart, Hand” wherever they go.
TOGETHER Growing
By Carlson Wakefield ’20
Creciendo Juntos
provides
a
place of belonging and learning for JBU’s Latino community
Marcos Gutierrez ’15, director of Creciendo Juntos, identified a gap JBU needed to fill for Latino students. As an admissions counselor in 2019, he began the early planning stages for a new student group.
“We saw a need for awareness, education and opportunities on the admissions side,” Gutierrez said. “This was a gap and an opportunity — only 6% of JBU’s population was Latino.”
Gutierrez’s passion for Creciendo Juntos, or CJ as the community calls it, started from his academic story. As the first member of his family to attend college, he faced significant challenges.
“For me and my family, it just felt like college wasn’t an option,” Gutierrez said. “My family sacrificed a lot for me to be here. When I graduated, I wanted to bring awareness about the opportunities college can bring to the Latino community.”
Gutierrez noticed that Latino students faced multiple challenges on campus, especially when it came to feeling connected and belonging. Many were commuters, making it difficult to build connections with others in the dorms and fully integrate into campus life.
“A big part of college success is a sense of belonging — feeling supported, wanted and understood,” Gutierrez said. “I wanted CJ to bridge those gaps.”
Creciendo Juntos, which translates to “Growing Together,” started with seven students in 2019 and has grown to over 100 students.
“Initially, it was more focused on recruitment and filling gaps,” Gutierrez said. “But then I began to see it as a support system while students were here.”
Open to all students, Creciendo Juntos focuses on providing mentorship, community service opportunities and connections for Latino students on campus.
Senior Wesley Duarte, student director of outreach at CJ, has been a part of the community for the past four years and has seen the group grow exponentially.
“Back when I was a freshman, it felt a lot like just a social group,” Duarte said. “Now we have community service, a mentorship program and networking opportunities. It’s much more than when I first started.”
CJ students are assigned a mentor at the start of their first year. They are only required to meet twice a semester, but most groups meet more often than that.
Freshman Cruz Galvan felt his mentorship’s impact early in his first semester.
“I became friends with my mentor before even knowing he was my mentor,” Galvan said. “That’s how natural it feels to connect here — it’s more than just a program; it’s a support system.”
JBU designed the mentorship program to make an impact on students early in their college experience.
“We first met up in early October, had snacks on the quad, and got to know each other, which bonded us,” said JBU freshman Citlali Tinajero.
“It’s like you create a friendship right away.”
ship — that will help students succeed not only in college but in life,” Gutierrez said.
Students hear from different JBU faculty, like Trisha Posey, Ph.D., dean of undergraduate studies, and Ryan Ladner, Ph.D., vice president of enrollment management.
CJ workshops are a great way to build community and foster connection, but they also help students learn skills they will use as young professionals.
“We also hold internship workshops and have people from career development talk about preparing resumes,” Gutierrez said. “Each year has a different focus — connecting, relationships, finances and career preparation — so that students gain practical knowledge and expand their network.”
Besides the mentorship program, Gutierrez, who now serves as the director of Creciendo Juntos, is intentional about the programming that CJ provides its students.
Freshman year, the focus is on connecting students with faculty who will invest in their success. During sophomore year, CJ teaches students how to have good relationships with roommates, friends and parents. In their junior year, students are taught financial skills and hear stories from experts in the field. As seniors, students hear from alumni sharing their life experiences after college.
“We’re focused on creating connections and providing practical tools — networking, financial literacy, mentor-
Even though CJ is still in its infancy, it has already significantly impacted the JBU campus and the Latino student population. What started with only seven students and Gutierrez has grown into a thriving community of students pursuing campus leadership and professional opportunities.
“The mentorship program has already helped me with my leadership skills, which is huge for my major in construction management,” Galvan said. “I feel like I’m already preparing for the real world.”
Creciendo Juntos is more than just a social club; it gives students a place that feels familiar.
“It’s so important to have people who understand where you come from,” Tinajero said. “Here, I can talk to someone who speaks my language and shares similar experiences, and it feels like home.”
A HOME AWAY FROM
Philip and Heather Enoch continue the tradition of providing a unique place for missionary students to gather and grow.
By Traci Manos ’01
JBU’s Missionary in Residence (MIR) program was started during John Brown III’s presidency in 1992 to provide support for missionary kids (MKs). Billy Stevenson, David Sanford and the international program committee initiated the program and purchased the house on Alpine Street, which serves as the residence for the MIRs to this day.
Ed and Kay Klotz were among the first to accept the MIR post, which they kept for two years before moving into permanent positions at JBU. Since then, 23 missionaries and their families have served as MIRs — including Seth and Andrea Sears, Brian and Christine Matchell ’05, and Corey and Tiffany Carey recently.
“We try to rotate missionaries from different continents each year to bring some diversity to the post and the world to JBU’s doorstep,” said Stevenson, chief global engagement officer.
Stevenson oversees international student programs, study abroad opportunities and international mission projects. He also steers the MIR search committee and recommends MIRs to President Chip Pollard, a task that he said has been a joy.
Philip and Heather Enoch and their children Andrew, Kate and Emily currently serve as JBU’s MIRs. The family has been with Africa Inland Mission for 21 years and are in the U.S. on home
FAR AWAY HOME
assignment. Most recently, the Enochs were at Rift Valley Academy, a Christian boarding school for children of missionaries in Kijabe, Kenya, where Philip filled various administrative roles for the school, and Heather taught sixth grade and served as a campus chaplain.
“Repatriation from resident country to passport country (or a completely new country like some of our international MKs) is a huge and impactful transition,” Heather said. “We thank God for the MIR program at JBU that supports these students during this tender time.”
This fall, 117 MKs are enrolled at JBU, representing 20 different countries of residence and accounting for 8.7% of JBU’s undergraduate student body.
Karis White, a sophomore nursing major, moved to Malaysia with her family at the age of four and lived there for 11 years. At 15, her family moved to Kandern, Germany, where she attended Black Forest Academy.
“I am so grateful for the Missionary in Residence program because it offered a cushion for my transition to the U.S.,” she said.
Once at JBU, White joined an MK-led Bible study that meets in the MIR home.
home each Wednesday night for a meal and connection time — no agenda, just food and conversation.
John Martin, a freshman engineering major, is an MK from East Asia, where he and his family served for 13 years at an orphanage for kids with extreme medical conditions. He said the Missionary in Residence program has been an anchor for him in the storm of academics, and that the Enochs have been so kind and giving every time he sees them.
“During each week, I always look forward most to our Wednesday night dinners at their JBU-provided home,” Martin said. “There, they provide a place for all the missionary kids to laugh, eat and connect with each other in the third culture that we all magically share. Because of this, I have yet to go through a week feeling completely alone in this transition. I am so grateful that JBU has this wonderful program.”
THEY PROVIDE A PLACE FOR ALL THE MISSIONARY KIDS TO LAUGH, EAT AND CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE THIRD CULTURE THAT WE ALL MAGICALLY SHARE.
“The study has been coined ‘citizens of heaven,’ reminding us that when we don’t feel at home on this earth, the Lord has a place for us in his family,” she said. “The group has truly become a safe space for me to talk about my life and feel understood. We are going on year two of meeting — this year with six new freshmen. Every time we share our life experiences and transitions to JBU, I am reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness!”
Along with hosting Bible studies like the one White is part of, the Enochs extend their hospitality to all third-culture kids (TCKs) by inviting them into their
The Enochs also host a growth group and meet with students oneon-one for discipleship.
One of the MIRs responsibilities each fall is to invite mission agencies to campus and organize the international flag ceremony, or “Flag Chapel,” for World Awareness Week in November. In the spring, the Enochs will help the student club MuKappa put on its annual goat roast, which Heather said may look slightly different this year with various meat options and sides, instead of only goat.
“We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve at JBU,” Heather said. “Coming from an MK-care background, we’ve loved being able to support and learn from the MKs. Our goal is to be available for whatever MKs need, whether that be a ride to a doctor’s appointment, jumping a dead car battery or help processing a decision.”
Finance Faithful
Julie Gumm, chief marketing and communications officer, reflects on how God’s faithfulness — partnered with JBU leadership’s skills and donors’ generosity enables the university to withstand economic challenges.
By Julie Gumm ’95
In the fall of 1990, as a high school senior, I reconsidered my plans to attend my state university. Having attended Christian schools since kindergarten, I realized a faith-based education was important. I landed at JBU thanks to the affordable price tag and scholarships. Twenty years after graduating, I returned to JBU as an employee. Early on, through interactions with the administration and detailed financial meetings, I saw the university officials’ commitment to stewardship and people.
In 2021, JBU President Chip Pollard added me to the President’s Cabinet, an eight-member team setting JBU’s strategic direction and overseeing planning, budgeting and policies. This firsthand view of the budgeting process has only deepened my gratitude for God’s faithfulness and the generosity of donors and magnified my respect for how JBU’s leaders have been faithful with the university’s resources throughout the decades.
Financial strength is crucial as the number of college-aged Americans declines, and many small colleges struggle. Since
March 2020, 40 public or private nonprofit colleges have closed or announced closures, and 32 have merged or announced mergers.
Against this challenging backdrop, JBU has maintained a stable financial position with over $300 million in assets — including around $195 million in endowment funds — and an extraordinarily strong debt-to-asset ratio, with only 2% of JBU’s assets financed through debt. Today, the university only carries long-term debt from the construction of the Walker Residence Hall in 2004.
Capin Crouse audits JBU’s financials annually, examining reserves, net income, return on net assets and viability ratios. JBU’s composite financial index score of 6.7 is more than double the target score of 3, with auditors noting its financial strength and effectiveness.
But numbers only tell part of the story. Having experienced four annual budget cycles as a Cabinet member, I can offer a firsthand look at the careful stewardship, strategic priorities and intentional processes that have helped JBU navigate economic challenges while staying true to its mission.
Student-first approach
We’re here for the students. Providing a Christ-centered education to students of any means has been JBU’s mission since 1919. This means keeping tuition low while providing a rigorous academic experience that prepares students to use their God-given talents in their vocation. Financial priorities trickle down from this student-first approach, both short-term and long-term.
“Chip [Pollard] is really careful about considering who’s not in the room when we’re having budget discussions — students and their families,” said Kim Hadley, executive vice president. “What would they value? What’s most important for their experience?”
Even with the generous gifts from donors each year, investment returns and a healthy endowment, tuition, room and board revenue is the primary driver of the budget, accounting for around 60% of JBU’s annual $50 million operating budget. Therefore, each year’s budget is determined mainly by two factors: the number of students and the cost of tuition.
Hadley explained that when setting costs for the upcoming year, the administration considers inflation, how JBU is placed competitively with other institutions and
what is necessary to provide a quality education for students. Over the last decade, the average annual increase has been around 2.75%.
Fundraising for capital projects and student scholarships is prioritized by University Advancement, which receives gifts for the annual JBU Scholarship Fund and named endowed scholarships. The latter has grown dramatically, providing $3.4 million in scholarships for 571 students this year. (For more on endowed scholarships, see page 27.) In addition, many students receive institutional merit and program-based scholarships (i.e., art and music), decreasing the average net tuition students pay.
JBU’s commitment to fundraising for capital projects — new buildings and major renovations — helps keep tuition low by avoiding debt payments, which is unusual among universities. Since 2000, the university has added 449,000 square feet of space, totaling $84.1 million in project costs, all covered by generous supporters. For non-revenue producing buildings (i.e., academic buildings), the university raises an amount beyond the building costs to help cover ongoing operating costs and routine maintenance.
Collaborative and proactive budgeting process
In September, the budgeting process begins with the vice presidents creating a list of new ongoing budget requests from their departments, whose directors usually seek input from the people on their team. The requests range from new positions to technology needs and other resources. As the lists are compiled, the vice presidents work with their teams to prioritize the requests before bringing their list to Cabinet. Approximately 100 employees speak into the budget requests in some way through this process. During this prioritization process, teams are asked to rank a general increase in the employee compensation pool (typically between 2-3% annually) among the other new requests.
Payroll and benefits account for the most significant expense for the university — approximately 60% of the operating budget. While many industries can cut budgets by increasing efficiency and using technology to decrease payroll costs, Hadley explained that Christian higher education is a “high touch” industry that necessitates highly
skilled and mission-minded people. Therefore, the university must invest in its people to maintain its mission, and that is why Cabinet asks teams to include compensation increases in the budget prioritization rankings.
Miguel Rivera, JD, assistant professor of criminal justice and faculty representative to the Dean’s Council, experienced this process for the first time in the fall. As a newer faculty member with extensive experience in corporate and government sectors, Rivera offers a unique perspective on JBU’s budgeting.
“I am very impressed with the care, fiscal responsibility and prayerfulness with which JBU approaches all of its decisions, especially budgeting,” Rivera said. “There are many worthy programs, ideas and challenges that compete for limited resources and demand the administration’s attention. Being fiscally responsible and prayerful about these decisions, I think, really impacts the deliberation and results in the best overall decisions — appreciating that there will be and are real-world impacts, both positive and sometimes negative from an individual perspective, that require empathy and grace.”
In October, Cabinet starts a series of budget meetings to create a balanced budget based on the new tuition, room and board rates, increases in unavoidable institutional expenses — energy, insurance and health care, for example — and data-driven predictions on the number of students expected in the next academic year. All of this is laid out and displayed on a giant conference room screen for Cabinet to see via a complex and detailed set of spreadsheets expertly managed by Hadley and Tom Perry, chief accounting and budget officer.
With those initial figures plugged in, Cabinet gets the first look at whether the budget predicts a surplus or a deficit.
In the last 20 years, there have been both. While some organizations let a deficit budget pass, and often for multiple years, JBU is proactive in its adjustments, maintaining a balanced budget even though it sometimes means making difficult decisions about programs and people. If reductions need to be made, Cabinet undertakes another thorough review process to determine, as Hadley says, “What is the best budget prioritization in terms of serving students? What’s the overall impact on the student of all these decisions?”
When the initial calculation shows a surplus, a collective cheer comes from the Cabinet members. Usually, that good mood is tempered a bit when Hadley scrolls to the cell that displays the total dollar figure for new bud-
get requests. It consistently exceeds the surplus, often by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Thus begins the task of weighing each request and determining what makes it into the new budget.
You might think that process involves members battling it out for the limited budget dollars. But it’s less arm wrestling and more like a thoughtful family meeting where Cabinet works together to prioritize what truly benefits the JBU community.
This process continues over a half dozen meetings with adjustments here and there as costs are finalized and predictive data changes. Then, the budget goes through an approval process with the board of trustees in February.
Innovation and expansion
To continue thriving as an institution and growing enrollment, JBU is constantly evaluating the market and requests from students to expand program offerings. The startup cost for new programs is a critical factor in the process. Sometimes, JBU can create a new major from existing courses that faculty are already teaching (possibly with one or two new courses taught by industry-expert adjuncts). In some cases, like computer science, a seven-figure gift helps jumpstart the program, and generous gifts can even provide endowment funding for faculty positions. In the last four years, the university has added 10 new programs, including robotics, artificial intelligence, humanitarian and disaster relief and integrated marketing communications, without adding substantial cost to the budget. Today, 253 students are in those programs.
The institution’s financial position also makes it possible to be innovative rather than reactive when unusual situations arise. Last year’s federal FAFSA overhaul and the delays in FAFSA form availability predicted by the Department of Education are prime examples. Ryan Ladner, vice president of enrollment management, grew concerned that delays in offering financial aid packages to prospective students would dramatically affect enrollment. Early news from the Department of Education predicted a delay in FAFSA form availability that, in the end, was even worse than expected.
After a brainstorming conversation between Ladner, Hannah Bradford ’09, executive director of admissions, and David Burney ’08, chief student finance officer, they jointly brought an innovative idea to Hadley for consider-
ation. New students would complete a detailed “online net price calculator” with their family financial information.
JBU would send early financial aid awards that guaranteed the JBU-based aid if their final FAFSA score was within 10%. After calculating the potential economic risks, Hadley supported the innovative plan.
“Traditionally, financial aid administrators are very regimented because there are so many regulations. Most of my colleagues at peer institutions were surprised JBU took such a seemingly risky approach,” Burney said. “As it turned out, the delays went much longer than the Department of Education predicted, and many schools wished they had been able to do the same thing. I’m thankful the JBU leadership responds to these ideas.”
It paid off in the long run with record enrollment numbers, and student financial services still remained within budget for financial aid spending.
Hadley explained, “JBU was able to execute this innovative solution because we are blessed with reserve funds to absorb the downside risk.”
Financial stewardship
Hadley takes her role seriously in stewarding JBU’s resources, including refinancing debt at lower interest rates, maximizing interest income from cash flow investments and carefully evaluating investment portfolios and endowment spending.
find ways for JBU to operate more efficiently,” Pollard said. “She cares deeply that we steward each dollar, whether from a donor or student, to maximize our mission and serve students well.”
Hadley said there is an ethos of stewardship across the university.
“I know I’m cognizant that I am making decisions on how we spend a student’s tuition dollar and a donor’s gift,” said Hadley. “But it’s not just me — there were decades of good stewardship under Marion Snyder and Pat Gustavson. I also feel like our employees spend with the same level of carefulness they do with their home budget.”
There’s also a culture of working collaboratively to find ways to do things more effectively and efficiently, whether increasing energy efficiency in our buildings and systems or changing the university’s health care coverage to save money for the university and employees.
JBU’s foundational principles haven’t changed: prioritizing students, maintaining careful oversight of resources and pursuing innovation while staying true to our mission.
To offset the costs of serving students and to keep tuition rates lower, the university also seeks to maximize supplemental revenue sources, including renting JBU facilities to external groups, leasing space on our radio tower and offering Walton Lifetime Health Complex community memberships.
However, stewardship is a value that extends beyond the administration.
“Kim is so good at explaining the university’s complex financial budgeting process that she empowers others to
In one particularly tight budget year, Hadley put together a cross-departmental task force whose goal was to find $100,000 in yearly savings in the budget. They looked at everything from how often we watered the grass to the number of lunch meetings and whether employees getting cell phone reimbursements were required by their roles to be accessible 24/7. We found $100,000.
Reflecting on my journey from cost-conscious student to Cabinet member, I’m struck by how JBU’s commitment to financial stewardship has remained constant throughout leadership changes and unexpected circumstances. While higher education challenges have evolved dramatically since my undergraduate days, JBU’s foundational principles haven’t changed: prioritizing students, maintaining careful oversight of resources and pursuing innovation while staying true to our mission. These practices, combined with God’s faithfulness and the generosity of our donors, position JBU to continue providing quality, Christ-centered education for generations to come.
Kim Hadley
The Unexpected Pattern: How Fashion Design Led to University Leadership
By Traci Manos ’01
Kim Hadley grew up on a dairy farm in Barber, Arkansas, watching her mother tailor the suits her dad wore to his job as a loan officer. Hadley was 8 years old when she sewed her first project, a little mushroom print dress. At 12, she took her first tailoring class and, through 4-H, began to enter and win competitions in fashion design and sewing. In addition to being creative endeavors, the competitions allowed Hadley to travel and earn scholarships.
During high school, Hadley expanded to art — watercolor and pointillism were her favorite mediums — and won several regional art competitions. She also found she excelled in the more left-brained field of accounting. Still, Hadley dreamed of becoming a fashion designer.
At 16, she was one of four students to win a national McCall Pattern Company competition. She flew to Hollywood, California, and received a makeover on Rodeo Drive before a professional photo shoot to feature her design in the McCall’s pattern catalog. At 18, Hadley’s talents took her to the Fashion Revue at The Magnificent Mile in Chicago to model a garment she’d designed and sewed. While there, she was offered a half scholarship to a fashion design school in New York but couldn’t afford the remaining tuition.
While researching fashion design as a career, she met the designer who created the wardrobe for Elizabeth Ward, crowned Miss Arkansas in 1981 and Miss America in 1982. He told Hadley he used his accounting degree daily to run his design business.
Hadley took his story to heart and went on to earn her degree in accounting and passed the CPA exam. Her goal was to become financially stable and then pursue fashion design, but the CPA firm where she worked offered to pay for her MBA, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
While completing her MBA, Hadley met and married her husband, Kelly, and their daughter was born three years later, one week after she graduated. Hadley planned to continue working, but when her daughter’s day care forgot to feed her for an entire day, she knew she couldn’t leave Savannah there again.
When she resigned from her job to care for Savannah, her supervisor suggested that she contact JBU about part-time teaching opportunities. At age 27, Hadley started teaching evening business classes for JBU’s Fort Smith Center. She taught as an adjunct for eight years, moving to Northwest Arkansas midway through when Kelly’s work relocated them.
In 2004, with their two kids in school, Hadley joined JBU full time as the organizational management program director. She held faculty positions before becoming vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer in 2009, eventually earning her doctorate in marketing in 2016. In 2020, she was named Arkansas Business’ Education CFO of the Year, and in 2022, JBU President Chip Pollard promoted Hadley to vice president and chief operating officer.
Today, as executive vice president, Hadley leads the operational aspects of JBU, including finance, facilities, technology, enrollment, marketing, athletics and the university-owned radio station.
When asked about her most personally meaningful JBU contribution, Hadley pointed to the university’s partnership with Sunshine Montessori School. After hearing employees’ struggles with local day care shortages and knowing from her own experiences the critical importance of good care, she championed converting a recently vacated JBU building into an infant and toddler care facility. JBU offered Sunshine Montessori a reasonable lease rate in exchange for priority enrollment for employees’ children.
It’s this kind of problem-solving that Hadley says uses her creative aptitude.
“I enjoy pulling a group of people together to collaborate in creatively resolving issues or improving operations to benefit our students, faculty and staff,” Hadley said.
Hadley believes that JBU is an excellent place for first-generation students because of the caring faculty and staff.
“Students are not just a number. Our staff and faculty invest their lives in helping students navigate the college experience,” Hadley said.
She doesn’t have any regrets about not pursuing fashion design and loves her job.
“University administration is not what I imagined or dreamed of, but I sought the Lord at each juncture, so I know it’s the path he had for me,” Hadley said. “I’m energized by the work we do at JBU.”
STRATMAN PUBLISHES SECOND BOOK OF POETRY
Jacob Stratman, Ph.D., professor of English and dean of the College of Bible, Humanities and Arts, released his second book of poetry, “the shell of things,” in May 2024. Following poet Gerard Manley Hopkins’ claim that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God,” Stratman’s poems enjoy the thin places of regular life in the natural world, human relationships and new places we find ourselves where truth, goodness and beauty. The artwork by Eve Oh, JBU assistant professor of visual arts.
40 years Celebrating
of the WALTON INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
By Cherissa Roebuck ’01
In 1985 , Sam and Helen Walton founded the Walton International Scholarship Program (WISP) to provide free college education for the brightest students from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. The program’s goal was to strengthen the democratic and free-market futures of these nations by giving students the opportunity to study in America and then return to their home countries and promote free-market enterprises.
The Waltons selected John Brown University as one of three liberal arts universities to educate the Walton scholars (along with Harding University and University of the Ozarks). Since the program’s inception, more than 1,500 Walton International Scholars have earned their undergraduate degrees in America and returned home as leaders in business and culture in Central America and Mexico.
JBU recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Walton International Scholarship Program with a homecoming weekend filled with special events for JBU WISP alumni. Many WISP alumni traveled to Siloam Springs to celebrate.
The WISP celebration began on Thursday, Oct. 3 with a “Meet Your Former Faculty” event, followed by a 40th Anniversary WISP banquet. About 120 WISP alumni and 80 of their guests, along with 60 current students, former program directors and JBU presidents attended the banquet. The weekend continued with a reunion gathering on Alumni Field and a dessert event hosted at the home of John ’71 and Judy McCullough ’70. During John’s four decades as a professor of accounting at JBU, the McCulloughs hosted every single Walton scholar in their home.
The events allowed many WISP alumni to share their stories about their years at JBU and how the Walton International Scholarship Pro-
PEER REACHES ELITE STATUS
The International Association of Pastel Societies awarded Charles Peer, professor emeritus, Eminent Pastelist status with the IAPS. The distinction is designed to recognize those artists who have continued to have work accepted and/ or awarded in IAPS juried competitions after achieving Master Circle Level. It is the society’s highest honor. Peer was a JBU professor of visual arts from 1987-2018.
gram shaped their lives and influenced their home countries.
One of the speakers at the WISP banquet was Luis Gomez ’91. After earning his bachelor’s degree at JBU, Gomez was honored to be selected to serve at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras for one year. He then completed a master’s degree and a doctorate at Vanderbilt University before returning home to Honduras.
At home in Honduras, Gomez founded the technology company Lufergo. The United Nations selected Lufergo to oversee technology for the government elections in Honduras for the past 16 years — the last four election cycles.
Gomez also founded the Telica Farms project, whose endeavors include developing the bean seed that is used to seed close to 25% of all bean production in Honduras.
Gomez shared how his JBU education as a Walton scholar shaped his life and his entrepreneurial undertakings in Honduras.
“I was able to get my education here at JBU, which is by far one of the best things I ever got. We not only were able to get the head knowledge but also the heart knowledge,” Gomez said. “A year into my master’s degree at Vanderbilt, I began to notice that the things I had learned in the Walton program made a difference in the way I treated people.
Gomez said doing business in their home countries is not always easy.
“It is not always clear how to do proper business as we Christians want to do,” he said. “There were conflicts where decisions needed to be made, and always the decision was that if something was unclear, we would not do it. This is one of the things that has allowed my company to remain in business for 28 years with a name as a good, honest business. It is not just a matter of the Christian life but of being honest all the time.”
“It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived” was a favorite saying of Helen Walton. The continued support of the WISP program by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation has allowed thousands of alumni to receive a Christian education and return to their home countries to scatter the lessons they have learned.
To watch a video about the WISP banquet, visit jbu.edu/wisp-banquet
Investing in the Future
The power of endowed scholarships
By Bethany Wallace
On a Sunday in Springdale, Arkansas, David ’66 and Bernie ’ 67 Teague found themselves in an unexpected situation. Their car had broken down on the way home from JBU Homecoming.
Without a cell phone, they headed inside a local café to make a call. As David approached the counter, a familiar voice called, “Mr. Teague! What are you doing here?” It was the JBU student who received their endowed scholarship. Upon hearing about the Teagues’ car troubles, the student offered to drive them to their destination in his pickup truck.
While the Teagues created an endowed scholarship to bless a student, they found themselves blessed in return by their student’s kindness.
JBU awarded more than $3.4 million to 571 students from 350 endowed scholarships this academic year. These scholarships are created through the generosity of donors, and their lasting impact is felt in the lives of students who meet specific criteria, making Christian higher education more accessible.
Donors can establish an endowed scholarship with a minimum do -
nation of $10,000. Currently, JBU is matching donations, effectively doubling the donor’s contribution and multiplying the impact of the scholarship. Donors can specify some general criteria for awardees, such as program of study. JBU invests the funds to provide annual distributions for current needs and long-term growth for future needs.
While many schools use software to match scholarships to students to save time, JBU’s student financial services team takes a more personalized approach. They dedicate over 100 hours to carefully match each student to the appropriate scholarship, ensuring the donor’s criteria are honored when distributing awards.
Initially, David was drawn to the idea of creating an endowed scholarship after learning his investment would double. However, he quickly realized that the benefits of establishing an endowed scholarship go far beyond financial returns. David recounted how his involvement has led to meaningful connections with the students who benefit from his support.
“I liked the idea that it would provide scholarships for years instead
of money that would be gone at the end of the year,” he said. “But after attending several Scholarship Dinner events, I learned that creating an endowed scholarship at JBU can open the door to some special relationships. When we go watch one of our student’s games, hear that they landed their dream job or see that they have received special recognition for something, I’m just as proud as if it were one of my own children.”
Endowed scholarships are more than just a way to give back — they create lasting legacies that continue to grow and benefit students year after year. For donors, these scholarships offer the opportunity to make a lasting impact while building deep, meaningful relationships with the students they support. For the students who receive these scholarships, the opportunity can be life-changing — opening doors to opportunities they never imagined possible.
To learn more about creating an endowed scholarship, contact Steve Onnen at sonnen@jbu.edu.
FROM JBU TO CAPITOL HILL
Through divine opportunities,
Phillip Todd found himself on the fast track to D.C.
By Cherissa Roebuck ’01
Phillip Todd ’18 spent most of his childhood traveling from village to village in rural China. As the son of missionaries, Todd’s childhood travel experiences left him with many questions, especially about the economic stagnation of rural communities around the world. Todd could not have imagined that within a few short years, these questions would lead him on a journey that would land him in a position to influence real economic change in the world — as the chief economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Todd graduated from John Brown University with an undergraduate degree in international business and marketing, and minors in economics and prelaw.
for a fellowship at George Mason University. He received the fellowship through GMU’s Mercatus Center, the university’s think tank and research center, which specializes in many of Todd’s areas of interest — international development, economic policy and financial technology.
Todd said through the mentorship of Randall Waldron, Ph.D., professor of economics and international business at JBU, he realized that the field of economics answered many of the questions sparked by his childhood travels.
After graduating from JBU in 2018, Todd applied
When Todd was 22, after his first semester of graduate school at George Mason, a position opened at the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The committee was looking for a fellow from the Mercatus Center who would be interested in doing some number crunching for them. Sen. Marco Rubio had just taken over the committee, and his ambition was to focus on China’s small business ecosystem, what policies they were crafting to incentivize innovation and how the U.S. could replicate or improve on those. Todd was a perfect fit for the position, and he not only got the fellowship but just three months into the internship, the committee offered Todd a full-time position.
“Getting your foot in the door in Congress can be a challenging process and generally takes people many years,” Todd said. “It was not the pathway I was specifically looking for, but it was almost as if the story was written better than I could have written it myself. My time growing up in China, my time wrestling with those economic questions and my own small business ventures — it all seemed to prepare me perfectly for the committee role. I saw God all over the story.”
Todd jumped into his committee work, and as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation, Todd’s committee work landed him in the position to help write the policy for the Paycheck Protection Program, one of the economic response plans that came through Congress during the pandemic. The committee asked Todd to run the numbers behind the plan and help figure out how to make it work.
“It was interesting because, at the moment, we knew we had to act quickly. While I was actually doing the work, it was hard to pause and reflect. But when it was done, I realized the work I was doing was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Todd said. “What I really wanted to see out of my career was to encourage human flourishing, so to be able to participate in that during that time was really fulfilling.”
In January 2023, after Sen. Rand Paul took over the small business committee and moved to the Homeland Security Committee, Todd was promoted to chief economist of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and personal economic advisor for Sen. Paul.
Todd attributes some of his success to the work ethic and the “scrappiness” he learned as a business student at JBU. He said JBU’s emphasis on educating the whole person was crucial in preparing him for his career in Washington, D.C.
“JBU’s core values of training the head, the heart and the hand really outlines my career,” Todd said. “Head — my years at JBU and George Mason as I wrestled with economic concepts and intellectual values; heart — how to bring my faith into the workplace and how to redeem the institutions of this world; hands — talking with constituents and seeing the immediate impact of the decisions we make from the bubble of D.C. It’s really fulfilling to look at those three values and know that I’ve made progress in each area over the course of my short career.”
BENNETT RELEASES ‘UNEASY CITIZENSHIP’
Daniel Bennett, Ph.D., published “Uneasy Citizenship: Embracing the Tension in Faith and Politics” in May 2024. In the book, Bennett, associate professor of political science at JBU, proposes a way forward for the politically engaged and weary alike. Identifying challenges and opportunities stemming from contemporary politics, Bennett argues for distinctly Christian engagement that confounds society’s notions of
HONORED FRIENDS
JBU grants honorary doctorates to Pastor Saul Pérez Esquivel and Dr. Layla Chanquin de Pérez of Guatemala
DBy Cherissa Roebuck ’01
uring the Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony , John Brown University awarded Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters degrees to Pastor Saul Pérez Esquivel and his wife, Dr. Layla Chanquin de Pérez, of Guatemala. The JBU honorary doctorate honors lifetime achievements in Christian service, professional accomplishment, distinguished public service, outstanding service and support of JBU.
Esquivel pastors Iglesia Bautista Cristo es El Camino, a church near a large city garbage dump in Guatemala City, and leads a thriving ministry that offers youth education programs, weekly food distribution, day care services for working mothers, a clean water program, outreach to the homeless, church planting ministries and drug rehab/recovery. Chanquin de Pérez, a medical doctor and surgeon, oversees Corazon de Amor Clinic, a medical clinic with a staff of 17 who meet the medical needs of thousands in the community. Together, Esquivel and Chanquin de Pérez have committed their lives to sharing the gospel and serving their Guatemalan community.
JBU first connected with Esquivel and Chanquin de Pérez in 2007 through a JBU Walton International Scholarship Program student who had grown up at the garbage dump and attended Iglesia Bautista Cristo es El Camino. Since then, about 30 JBU groups, totaling more than 350 students and 20 faculty and staff,
have traveled to Guatemala to partner with Esquivel and Chanquin de Pérez and their ministry. These groups have completed construction and water purification projects, medical missions, community feedings, study projects and other special events. Through these JBU connections, other community ministries like Dustin’s Dream Foundation in Siloam Springs and Life of Hope Ministries in Joplin, Missouri, have partnered with Esquivel and Chanquin de Pérez to support their work.
Joe Walenciak, Ph.D., distinguished professor of business at JBU, has led 14 spring break mission trips to Guatemala and traveled with JBU graduate counseling groups, nursing students and water project groups. He has often seen Esquivel and Chanquin de Pérez drop everything to help someone in need.
“I have been honored to know Pastor Saul and Dr. Layla for 15 years and have been so encouraged by the breadth and depth of their work for God’s kingdom.”
“I remember when a woman named Berta attended our clinic with a complicated problem,” Walenciak said. “She said she needed to leave, so she left. The medical staff came to me and said she would probably not survive the day without emergency surgery.
“I contacted Saul, and he stopped what he was doing, took me with him and went to the streets to find her. We found her and rushed her to a hospital for emergency surgery. She had an intestine that was about to burst, and the surgeon confirmed that she would not have survived the day.”
JBU President Chip Pollard said Esquivel and Chanquin de Pérez are shining examples of what it means to live out the gospel and JBU’s “Head, Heart, Hand” mission.
“I have been honored to know Pastor Saul and Dr. Layla for 15 years and have been so encouraged by the breadth and depth of their work for God’s kingdom,” Pollard said. “They preach the gospel in word — through their K-12 school and their church network — and in deed — through their clean water and healthy food distributions, their medical clinic, their construction projects, their job training and so much more. They have graciously allowed many JBU faculty, staff and students to partner with them in this work and receive the blessing of getting to know the people in their neighborhood in Guatemala City. I could not think of a better couple to receive honorary doctorates from JBU, and we will be proud to call them our alumni.”
In Memoriam
Roger Allen Anderson ’85, age 65, died July 21. (Business)
Curtis Michael Bohlin, age 44, died July 7. (Digital Media Arts) 01
Tyler Clifton Braschler, age 34, died June 18. (Outdoor Leadership Ministries) 02
Mary Ruth (Williams) Broadfield ’55, age 90, died June 7. (Secondary Education) 03
Andrew “A.C.” Cockerham ’54, age 91, died June 13. (Electrical Engineering) 04
Karen (Radel) Danhof ’00, age 69, died Sept. 22. (Organizational Management)
Ardus (Beaty) Endres, age 91, died Sept. 15. (Medical Technology)
Galen Gilbert ’40, age 103, died Nov. 8. (Bible)
David Lewis Hall ’82, age 67, died Oct. 7. (Business Administration/Economics) 05
James “Myron” Hall ’01, age 75, died Sept. 30. (Organizational Management) 06
Charles “Chuck” Bradley Haxton, age 70, died May 6. (Electrical Engineering) 07
William Hill III ’08, age 45, died May 16. (Business Information Systems)
Lisa (Hunt) Hunter, age 60, died June 29. 08
Gordon Kent Janssen ’57, age 89, died Oct. 19. (Music-Voice) 09
Stanley Jost, age 79, died Aug. 29. (Business Administration) 10
Michael W. Kuralt ’66, age 85, died Oct. 17. (Chemistry)
Earnest Mathis Jr. ’78, age 71, died July 18. (Social Studies)
Charles Edward Pace, age 77, died June 4. (Math, Physical Education and Health)
Toby Wayne Pearson ’98, age 47, died Sept. 9. (History) 11
James Pontier ’83, age 67, died June 25. (Construction Management)
John “Jason” Rovenstine ’94, age 55, died Nov. 27. (Journalism/Construction Mgmt.)
Robert “Bob” Salts Jr., age 92, died Sept. 3. (Construction Management)
Lyndon L. Sanders, age 73, died May 30. (Electrical Engineering)
Perry L. Sanders ’56, age 91, died Aug. 5. (Bible and Religious Education) 12
Bert Mitchell Stafford ’01, age 66, died Sept. 3. (Organizational Management) 13
Marilyn (Matthews) Sweeton, age 94, died Sept. 10. (Home Economics) 14
Janice (Cauwels) Veteto ’68, age 78, died Sept. 16. (English)
Evan Vohs, age 75, died July 22. (Business Administration)
Donald Walker, age 73, died Nov. 22. 15
Constance “Connie” (Brookhart) Wylemski ’85, age 82, died Sept. 17. (Art) 16
JBU Men’s Basketball has won the Toilet Paper Game
Y EA R S IN A ROW 24
900
STUDENTS ATTENDED MOCK ROCK
First place went to NDEBT (and Nurse Rhonda) for their mashup of Bye Bye Bye, Stayin’ Alive, Love Story and Fe!n
LIGHT UP JBU + TRICK OR SUITE 2 37943
brand new events joined the JBU calendar in 2024
Currently, JBU has
255
students are involved in
GROWTH GROUPS
A record attendance of
480 students packed the venue of SGA’s Cowboy Christmas. Flannel, coffee and linedancing gave the holiday party a country flair.
